August 31, 12 Caligula, Emperor of Rome 37-41, was born. He was noted for his insanity and cruelty. 161 Commodus, Emperor of Rome 180-192 was born. 651 St. Aidan died. A monk at Iona, Scotland, Aidan became the first bishop of Lindisfarne. 1056 Byzantine Empress Theodora became ill and died suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the throne, thus ending the Macedonian dynasty. 1314 King Håkon V Magnusson moved the capital of Norway from Bergen to Oslo. 1422 King Henry V of England died of dysentery while in France. 1422 Henry VI became King of England at the age of 9 months. 1535 Pope Paul II deposed and excommunicated King Henry VIII.

History Trivia

August 30, 1181 Pope Alexander III died. 1464 Pope Paul II elected. Although Paul II was considered a personally generous man, his political methods resulted in uneasy international relations. He fought stridently against the Hussites, convinced King Mathias of Hungary to declare war against Bohemia and its king, George, who was sympathetic to the Hussite cause. He also fought for a crusade against the Turks, which never materialized. Paul patronized scholars, collected antiquities, built the Palazzo Venezia, and founded the first printing presses in Rome. Yet he also closed the humanist Roman Academy, arrested its members, and had one of its leaders tortured on charges of conspiracy. 1525 Treaty of the More signed between Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France. England agreed to give up some territorial claims on France. In return, France was to pay a pension and was to prevent the Duke of Albany from returning to Scotland.

History Trivia

August 29,28 John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod at the request of his stepdaughter Salome. 70 The Temple of Jerusalem burned after a nine-month Roman siege. 1350 Battle of Winchelsea (Les Espagnols sur Mer): The English naval fleet under King Edward III defeated a Castilian fleet of 40 ships. Between 14 and 26 Castilian ships were captured, and some were sunk, while 2 English vessels were sunk and many suffered heavy losses. 1475 The Treaty of Picquigny ended a brief war between France and England. Louis XI of France paid Edward IV of England to return to England and not take up arms to pursue his claim to the French throne. Edward's brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later Richard III), opposed the treaty and refused the pension Louis offered.

History Trivia

August 28, 430 Saint Augustine, the great Christian theologian, died at age 75.
476 the western Roman Empire founded by Augustus in 27 BC ended at Ravenna, where Emperor Romulus Augustulus was deposed by the barbarian leader Odoacer (Germanic chieftain). 489 Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths defeated Odoacer at the Battle of Isonzo, forcing his way into Italy. 1189 Third Crusade: the Crusaders began the Siege of Acre under Guy of Lusignan. 1296 After the Scots were defeated at the Battle of Dunbar, Edward I had the Scottish land owners, churchmen and burgesses swear their allegiance by signing the The Ragman Rolls.

History Trivia

August 27, 550 BC Confucius, famous wise man of China is believed to have been born around this date. 479 BC Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius were routed by Pausanias, the Spartan commander of the Greek army in the Battle of Plataea. 410 The sacking of Rome by the Visigoths ended after three days. 1172 Henry the Young King and Margaret of France were crowned as junior king and queen of England. 1626 The Danes were crushed by the Catholic League in Germany, marking the end of Danish intervention in European wars.

August 26, 55 BC Julius Caesar and his Roman Legions invaded Great Britain. 1017 Turks defeated the Byzantine army under Emperor Romanus IV at Manikert, Eastern Turkey. 1429 Joan of Arc made a triumphant entry into Paris.1466 A conspiracy against Piero di Cosimo de' Medici in Florence, led by Luca Pitti, was discovered.
1498 Michelangelo was commissioned to carve the Pietà.

History Trivia

August 25,357 Julian Caesar defeated the Alamanni(alliance of German tribes) at Strousbourg in Gaul. 608 Boniface IV became Roman Catholic pope. 1270 King Louis IX of France (Saint Louis) died in northern Africa while leading the Eighth Crusade. 1346 Edward III of England defeated Philip VI's army at the Battle of Crecy in France.1549 Kett's Rebellion was a revolt in Norfolk, England during the reign of Edward VI. The rebellion was in response to the enclosure of land. It began in July 1549 but was eventually crushed by forces loyal to the English crown when the Earl of Warwick attacked and entered Norwich on August 25.